These Hair Mistakes Guarantee You’ll End Up With a Horrible ‘Do

Sticking to the status quo never really works when it comes to hair — it’s just too boring (or dated). At a certain point, the itch to try something different takes over, and you might find yourself pondering a massive change. While we’re fully in support of being brave with a new style, there are certain things you just shouldn’t do to your hair. Make any of these mistakes, and you can be certain you’ll wind up with a horrible hair style.

1. Going the DIY route for a hair cut

Doing it yourself just isn’t the best idea. | iStock.com/alfimimnill

We get it, finding the time to schedule an appointment with your hair stylist can be a real struggle. Such a struggle, in fact, you start to think grabbing your kitchen shears for a quick trim is a much more practical approach. But home hair cuts never end well. As Good Housekeeping points out, most of us don’t have the right tools to do it without causing tons of damage, and the results are usually bad enough to demand an emergency trip to the salon anyway. Save yourself the time and money by booking with a professional in the first place.

2. Getting a perm

You might end up with a poodle-like look. | iStock.com/unimode

There’s a lot of debate about whether perms are great or terrible, and it can lead to a lot of confusion. Truthfully, they rarely end up looking natural. Worse yet, they’re really hard on your strands, particularly if you already color your hair. Cosmetologist Erika Brown says getting your hair colored and permed on the same day is even worse. “There’s no doubt that if you get two chemical services in one day, it will not turn out like you’d hoped,” she writes on Confessions of a Cosmetologist.

And did we mention they don’t always take? It’s true. You might end up going through the entire, smelly process and still not end up with the curly hair of your dreams.

3. Dying your light hair super dark

If your hair is this light, you really need to see a professional for a dark dye job. | iStock.com/welcomia

If you’re going to a salon for this process, you don’t need to worry as much. For those who like to go the boxed dye route, though, proceed with extreme caution when taking your locks from blonde to something seriously dark. Why? You might end up with green hair.

This is actually a known problem in the hair coloring world. LEAFtv explains blonde hair doesn’t have any red pigment to counteract the blue or green pigment found in certain brown dyes, which results in a green tint. The same story offers a way to correct the problem, but we’re guessing you’d rather avoid the issue completely. Head to the salon for this one.

4. Heading to a new stylist when you want a drastic change

If the price seems too good to be true, it is. | iStock.com/gemenacom

Maybe your stylist is out of town. Maybe you found an unbelievable deal at a salon you’ve never been to before. Whatever the specific case, we really don’t recommend trying something wildly different when seeing a new stylist for the first time. There’s always a risk of ending up with someone who doesn’t have that much experience. Don’t let your locks turn into someone else’s experiment.

5. Replacing actual shampoo with dry shampoo

Dry shampoo is a huge help for greasy locks, but only in moderation. | iStock.com/LiudmylaSupynska

We love dry shampoo as much as the next gal, but it’s not a replacement for actually sudsing up in the shower. This beloved product, The Atlantic explains, helps to soak up excess oil, but it doesn’t actually clean your hair. The story goes on to say all that product eventually starts to irritate your scalp, and can even result in hair loss. Suddenly shedding a bunch of hair isn’t going to do much for your favorite style, so this is a serious don’t.

6. Using half a can of hair spray to keep your ‘do in place

Keep that bottle back! | iStock.com/fizkes

Anyone with thin hair knows the struggle of getting waves or an up-do to stay put. While a hefty dose of hair spray can certainly cement things in place, the end product looks greasy and even a bit crunchy. As StyleCaster points out, the same thing can happen if you hold the bottle too close to your head when you spritz.

The solution here is pretty easy. First, don’t attempt a gravity-defying ‘do. And secondly, give your hair a light spritz with a strong-hold spray, making sure to keep the bottle a decent distance from your actual hair.

7. Getting super short bangs

Resist the urge to try super short bangs. | iStock.com/kzenon

As much as we support experimentation in the hair department, short bangs are really the exception. Hair stylist Laini Reeves told Hello Giggles, “I refuse to do it because I want you to look your very best and super-short bangs look terrible on most people, unless you’re going for an edgy look on purpose.” We’ll trust the professional on this one.